Fuel price supports ready for rollout — but not until blockades end, representatives told

Standoff between gardaí and protesters at Whitegate, where protesters prevented a fuel tanker from entering the Irving oil refinery on Friday afternoon. Picture: Larry Cummins

The Government on Friday faced down fuel price protesters by telling representative bodies a package of supports is ready to be announced — but not until blockades end.

As the country faced a weekend of petrol forecourts drying up, there were tense scenes in Cork where a standoff developed between protesters and gardaí.

At the same time, the National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG) was warning in Dublin that fire brigades and ambulances will have to curtail their services while fuel supply is restricted. It also urged the public not to panic-buy fuel.

The Government told representative bodies, farming and haulage groups that it is preparing a suite of measures. However, nothing will be rolled out until the blockades across the country are lifted. Leading protesters were excluded from the meeting.

Tánaiste and finance minister Simon Harris said the Government is working on a package for businesses that will be “substantial and significant”.

“We're very clear, and we've always been clear as a Government that further specific supports for key sectors of the economy, particularly around agri-food and supply chains, would be required,” he said.

The NECG said the number of fuel stations out of supply could reach 500 across Friday — a third of the 1,500 stations across the whole country.

“The NECG also heard that there is growing concern from international shipping companies about the ability to offload stock at some Irish ports, and are monitoring the ongoing impact of these delays on their operations,” a readout of the meeting said.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said an oil tanker waiting to dock in Galway could be rerouted elsewhere, meaning that Ireland is "turning away oil in a global oil crisis".

“It is unconscionable, it’s illogical”, he said.

'Reduce avoidable consumption quickly'

Advice, seen by the Irish Examiner, for the emergency services says the strategic objectives are to “maintain life-saving emergency response capability” and “reduce avoidable fuel consumption quickly”. It also says fire departments should be “limiting non-essential travel”.

The National Ambulance Service will continue to respond to 999 calls, along with life-threatening and clinically urgent calls, but inter-hospital transfers and ambulance transport services for routine care and discharges are being curtailed.

The agri-food sector is also experiencing difficulties getting its produce out of the country for export, NECG heard. This was described as a “significant problem for a sector which exports almost 90% of its production”.

“The Department of Agriculture has also been informed that restricted diesel supply could begin to affect milk collection from farmers soon,” the group said.

Bus Éireann advised the meeting that its school transport service will resume on Monday following the Easter break, but parents are now being warned that, if blockades continue to disrupt fuel distribution and traffic, there are “likely to be delays and potential service disruption experienced to some services”.

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